


A Partnership Begins

by genderdefender



Series: Hope's Peak Investigations [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Detective Saihara Shuichi, Gen, Minor Violence, Paranormal Investigator Shinguji Korekiyo, Sort Of, Vampires, paranormal investigator AU, relationship can be viewed as platonic or romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:48:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26619991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genderdefender/pseuds/genderdefender
Summary: Shinguji Korekiyo, an unofficial paranormal investigator, is called to a big city to work with Detective Saihara Shuichi on their first high profile case: a serial murderer who may have vampiric connections. Between chasing a dangerous criminal, and harbored curiosities about one another, what will come of Kiyo and Shuichi’s impromptu partnership?(Backstory for a paranormal investigator AU I’ve been playing around with. Relationship between Kiyo and Shuichi can be read as platonic or as a budding romance. The important part of the story is less the context of their relationship and more their strong bond and partnership. Both illustrations are done by me, mainly because I wanted an excuse to draw Kiyo.)
Relationships: Saihara Shuichi & Shinguji Korekiyo, Saihara Shuichi/Shinguji Korekiyo
Series: Hope's Peak Investigations [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2010661
Comments: 12
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I mainly wrote this for backstory on a paranormal investigators(-ish) AU that I came up with half because it is a crime that, as far as I know, no one has made a paranormal investigators AU with Korekiyo and Shuichi yet. I wrote this so I can keep the information straight when I (hopefully) expand on the AU. The AU is mainly an excuse to write and draw my favorite characters while also indulging in my projecting headcanons, so I’m sorry if the characters seem a bit OOC.
> 
> I want to write/draw more of this in the future, adding in other favorite characters of mine like Kokichi and Nagito, but this story centers around the developing relationship between Korekiyo and Shuichi and how they came to know each other. Their relationship probably seems a bit rushed. Also, I didn’t actively write for this to seem romantic in any way, but after finishing the story, it came out a bit shippy, especially the last chapter. It can be read as either platonic or romantic, in my eyes.
> 
> Story isn’t beta read because I have no friends who like Danganronpa, and I’m not the best writer to begin with anyway. The way I describe everything and my art makes it sound a lot more intense than it actually is. Thanks for reading!

Shinguji Korekiyo was an anthropologist. Or at least, he used to be.

For years, Kiyo had studied anthropology, and traveled the world to research it. Humanity was one of his greatest interests; it always had been, ever since he was young and his mother would read him folktales before bed. He could talk for hours about rituals surrounding death, or the cultures surrounding ancient medicine. His favorite topic by far, however, was mythology.

He loved folktales and legends, and the creative characters that starred in them. He enjoyed theorizing about their origins, and the reasons behind their creation. He was naturally drawn towards mythical creatures and cryptids, and the mystery surrounding their existence.

Imagine his surprise when he met one in real life.

On one of his travels, he had come across a banshee. Her voice had been tormenting the village she once lived in for two weeks, and her spirit had been unable to move on. Kiyo used his prior experience with mythology and his research into the village’s death rituals to help the girl pass on into the afterlife.

The whole experience had been jarring, and honestly very stressful. Thankfully it paid off, in the end. With the help of some of the village’s religious leaders, they were able to put her soul to rest, and the village was free from her haunting. They had thanked him endlessly for his help (more than Kiyo was comfortable with, to be honest), and when he left a week later, his suitcase had gained a few pounds in gifts.

No matter. He was happy to have helped an innocent spirit peacefully pass on to the afterlife. It was the right thing to do. It was a once in a lifetime experience that he had learned a lot from. That was what Kiyo thought.

At least, until an unknown number called him two weeks later asking for his help with a supposed hellhound that was digging up graves and starting small fires.

Kiyo’s reputation quickly shifted from “creepy anthropologist” to “the guy who solves supernatural problems” over a few months. People called him from all over the country wanting his help to put spirits to rest, stop faeries from causing mischief, and every so often he would expel a demon from someone’s body. It was mainly small problems he solved, but he had gained a reputation for fixing things no one else could.

He still didn’t know how these people were getting his phone number.

Currently, he was on a train heading towards a rather large city to take on his first high profile case. The detective on the case was struggling to find any leads, but the fact that all the victims had wounds on their necks made them think a vampire had something to do with it. They requested a paranormal investigator to help them, and the mayor must have heard of Kiyo’s work.

Despite his hesitancy to accept a potentially dangerous case, Kiyo knew that if the culprit was indeed a vampire, they most likely would not get caught without his expertise, so he did some research, collected some materials, and left for the city. Besides, he had never worked with vampires before, and Kiyo would take every opportunity for a new experience he was given.

The train stopped, and an overhead voice signalled that he had arrived at his destination. He dragged his suitcase behind him as he left the station. Taking note of the buildings surrounding him, he observed the bustle of people rushing to and fro their work in the crowded city. The amount of noise and people surrounding Kiyo made him grimace. Kiyo did not visit urban areas often. He had grown up in a suburb, and most of his travels were to smaller, more isolated villages with rich cultures. To him, cities were just loud and dirty places that gave him nothing but headaches and disappointment. The only good thing about them was the amount of people around to watch.

He checked into his hotel, looking at the time once he dropped his luggage onto the bed. It was almost 11:00 AM, and he had a meeting with the mayor at noon. Kiyo sighed. He didn’t have much to do while he waited. Waiting in his stuffy hotel room would do nothing more than bore him, and there wasn’t enough time to sightsee even if he wanted to. In the end, the only thing he could do was walk to city hall and spend his time waiting there. He impatiently glanced at the time again. If he left now, he would arrive only half an hour early.

Sighing, he resigned to his fate and left the building, heading towards city hall. Kiyo held himself close to avoid touching anyone in the crowded streets. Usually, he enjoyed walking, but the amount of bodies and noise combined with the unfamiliar atmosphere dampened his mood.

Finally, he arrived at the city hall. The foyer was empty except for the secretary at the front desk, and blissfully quiet. A small smile crossed his face as he took a seat, pulling out his phone to pass the time. He was picking up where he left off on an article about banishment rituals when the front door opened, and in stepped a boy around his age. He looked around the waiting room, making eye contact with Kiyo. His eyes widened before he pulled the brim of his cap down to cover his face. Interesting.

Kiyo went back to reading on his phone but soon felt eyes boring into him. He looked up to make eye contact with the boy again, who was sitting in a chair across the room staring at him. He looked embarrassed at being caught and averted his eyes, pulling down his cap again. Kiyo quirked an eyebrow. Having watched so many others in his free time, he could recognize when he was being watched in return.

“Can I help you?” he asked. If the boy wanted to study him, Kiyo would rather just answer his questions straight up.

The boy flushed. “Ah, um… No, no, I’m just… I was wondering what you were reading. You seem very into it.”

“Hmm.” Kiyo set his phone onto his lap. “I was reading a study on ancient banishment rituals.”

“Banishment rituals? Like, for ghosts and stuff?”

“Ghosts, demons, faeries… there are many entities that may need to be banished.”

The boy furrowed his brow. “Why would anyone want to banish faeries? Aren’t they a good thing?”

“In many stories, humans depict faeries as helpful or fun creatures, yes. However, the depiction of faeries used to be much more negative, giving them a more mischievous, trickster reputation. I find the older stories to be more true to how faeries actually act.”

His eyes lit up. “Wait, have you met faeries before?”

“Yes, but only once. They were tormenting a poor young girl at night in her room. I had to cleanse her room from them.”

“‘Only once?’ That’s a lot more times than most will encounter faeries.” The boy brought a hand to his mouth, deep in thought. “It sounds like you work with magical and supernatural creatures often. You… wouldn’t happen to be Shinguji Korekiyo, would you?”

“Yes, that is my name. How do you know me?” It was not unheard of for Kiyo to meet someone who had heard of him, but generally, his name was only passed among those who struggled with the paranormal. Perhaps this man was acquainted with someone he worked with once?

The mayor’s door opened at that moment, interrupting the boy before he could answer. “Saihara, Shinguji? Please, come in.”

Kiyo stood, and noticed the boy he had been talking to stood as well. His name must be Saihara. Perhaps he was working on this case as well?

The two followed the mayor into his office, sitting in the chairs before his desk. The mayor awkwardly cleared his throat, looking at Kiyo. “I should introduce you two. Shinguji, this is Saihara Shuichi, the detective in charge of the, ah, ‘vampire’ case I called you here on.” He looked a bit uncomfortable at the mention of vampires.

Turning to Saihara, he said, “Detective, this is Shinguji Korekiyo, the paranormal investigator I was telling you about.”

Kiyo had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. People so often described him as a ‘paranormal investigator’ when they spoke of his work. He hated the term. It felt like fiction to him, and he hated being compared to those idiots that filmed themselves stumbling around dark, abandoned buildings. Kiyo did so much more than those fools ever could.

Saihara turned to look at him and held out his hand expectantly. “It’s very nice to meet you, Shinguji.”

He shook the detective’s hand. “It is nice to meet you as well, Saihara. Ah, and you may call me Kiyo.” He didn’t like being referred to by his surname.

“Great!” the mayor exclaimed. “I would like you two to work together on this case. Detective Saihara believes there may be a supernatural component to these murders, so we needed to bring an expert in to prove or disprove it.”

“Very well,” Kiyo replied. “I hope my knowledge can be of use to you, Saihara.”

The detective shot him a small smile. “Thank you. I am looking forward to working with you.”

“Amazing. I would like to look over the details as soon as possible, then.”

“Ah, um… You want to start now?” Saihara smiled shyly at him, fingers nervously rubbing the lip of his cap.

“Unless you are busy, of course. I can wait if need be, I would simply prefer to start sooner rather than later. I am afraid I cannot stay in this city forever.”

Saihara stood. “No, the only case I’m working on currently is this one. We can start now if you’d like.”

The mayor clapped his hands and smiled wide. “Good, good! I wish you the best in solving this one, boys!” He ushered the two out of his office, pushing them out with a hand to their lower backs. Kiyo could feel his skin crawling the moment the mayor let go and shut the door in their faces. They both stared at the door in silence, in shock.

“So… there’s a little cafe a few blocks away. You wanna look over the case file there? I brought it with me,” Saihara said after a moment, patting his satchel.

“That sounds lovely.” He followed as Saihara led him out of the city hall.

__________

The cafe was quaint and moderately busy from the late lunch rush. They had claimed a table in the far back corner, away from the rest of the customers. Kiyo sipped his tea as he observed a young couple near the front playfully argue over who should pay the bill. He smiled fondly at the interaction. Human generosity could be so wonderful, he mused.

“Do you like people-watching, Kiyo?” He turned to look at Saihara, who was staring at the same couple, a matching fond smile on his face.

“I enjoy observing the beauties of humanity. It is a common pastime of mine. I used to be an anthropologist before I began my… well, my current career, I suppose you could say.”

“That’s quite a jump, isn’t it? Anthropology to paranormal investigating?” The detective began shuffling through his bag as he spoke.

“No, not really. As an anthropologist, my favorite topics involved myth and legend. I had already learned much about magical and supernatural beings before I began solving mysteries involving them.”

Saihara hummed as he pulled a folder out of his bag, sliding it over to Kiyo before taking a sip of his black coffee. “Here are the details of the case, along with a few personal notes of mine. This should catch you up to where we are in our investigation.”

Kiyo nodded, opening the folder and reading over the case. 

_There are currently five victims, all killed in the same way within two weeks. Each victim was found dead in their hotel room. The cause of death was from bleeding out. The only wound on each victim was a tear in the neck. However, little to no blood was found at the scene of each murder._

Next to this section was a handwritten note: _Update: It has been proven the bodies were not moved to the hotel room from a different location after death. There are no areas where bloodstains have been cleaned up. Somehow, the victims bled out without any blood being spilled._

“Hmm. So each victim died from bleeding out due to a neck wound?”

Saihara nodded. “Yep. That’s what made me believe a vampire might be involved. Especially considering that no blood had been spilled. It would be near impossible for a human to pull off. The only thing that makes me doubt my vampire theory is the shape of the wound.” He reached across the table to flip to a page with images of each wound. “They don’t look like bites. It looks more like someone tore out a chunk of their neck.”

The wounds most certainly did not look like bite marks. A good portion of the muscle had been ripped out along the juncture between the neck and shoulder. Despite the gruesome nature of the wound, the victims’ clothing and skin remained almost free of blood, leaving only a small splatter.

“I’m not an expert on vampires, so I could be wrong,” the detective said, “but I always thought they just had to bite the victim to suck their blood, not rip out their flesh.”

“You are correct, Saihara. A vampire need only bite the neck to feed. However, that fact alone does not rule out the possibility of a vampire being involved with these murders. A vampire’s teeth are sharp enough to rip flesh if they so desired. That being said, if it truly is a vampire, I do not understand their motive.”

Saihara looked at him confused. “Wouldn’t a vampire’s motive be to eat?”

“Yes, that would usually be the case, but this vampire has killed five times in two weeks. They only need to feed once every two or three months. These wounds are also quite violent. A vampire only needs to bite, not tear flesh.”

Saihara covered his mouth with his hand, furrowing his brow in thought. “What if… the vampire wasn’t killing just to eat? Wait, look at this.” He flipped to a previous page and pointed at a paragraph of handwritten notes.

_Similarities in the victims:_

_-Male_

_-Dark hair_

_-Pale skin_

_-Taller than average_

_-Between 21-25 years of age_

_Note: The killer has been targeting men with the same physical traits. What could the reason behind this be? Five is too many to be coincidence._

Kiyo hummed in thought, cradling his face with his hand. “I agree with your note that the killer, if they are a vampire, may have an ulterior motive for killing other than feeding. Vampires usually retain their memories and personalities from life...”

“So it’s possible they are killing men because they are reminded of something from their life?” Saihara finished for him as he trailed off.

“Detective, I believe we have sufficient reasoning to investigate a possible vampire attack.”

Saihara seemed mildly surprised. “Really?”

“Weren’t you the one to propose the vampire idea in the first place? You should not be so shocked.” Kiyo felt his lips quirk up into a smirk.

Saihara smiled sheepishly and looked down at his hand. “I did, but I wasn’t expecting you to confirm my theory.”

“I am not confirming it is true. I am simply saying it is a possibility.”

The detective’s smile widened into an excited one. “Well, how do we prove it? Where do we start?” He was already packing up the case file and attempting to quickly finish the rest of his coffee.

Kiyo snickered at his excited response. “If a vampire has recently started attacking, they most likely rose from a local graveyard. Graves often appear caved in, recently overturned, or otherwise highly disturbed when a vampire raises from one. If we can find any suspicious graves-”

“Then we’ll be able to identify possible vampires and track them down.” Saihara cut him off, finishing his statement. He stood up quickly, and looked back down at Kiyo. “The apartment I live at isn’t too far away. We can get my car and check out all the local cemeteries.” The look in his eyes was intense and focused. Kiyo gave a quick nod, leaving the rest of his tea behind as he followed Saihara out of the cafe and down the street.

His determination made Kiyo smile a bit. It was not often he met someone with the same fervent interest in the paranormal. He had a feeling Saihara was going to make a wonderful partner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiyo and Shuichi discover the identity of their possible vampire, and learn a bit about each other along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit unconventional, but chapters 1 and 5 are written from Kiyo’s perspective while 2-4 are written from Shuichi’s. Those are just the characters that I wanted to write the thoughts of in those chapters so it’s what I went with.

Shuichi tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. They were waiting in the car park while Kiyo looked up cemeteries on his phone. Shuichi watched him out of the corner of his eye as he tapped away at the screen. How could he use a touchscreen with his fingers bandaged up like that? Come to think of it, he had drunk his tea earlier without taking off his mask as well. How does he do it? Maybe Kiyo is supernatural himself.

Shuichi wouldn’t be surprised. He didn’t know much about the man, but he seemed very strange. The only skin he left uncovered was the top half of his face; his mask covered his entire neck along with his mouth, and his hands were fully bandaged up. The way he spoke was uncanny, with an air of wisdom that left Shuichi feeling impressed and creeped out at the same time. Between his unwavering voice and lack of expression, Shuichi had no idea what he was thinking any of the time.

Kiyo was a mystery that had captivated Shuichi since he first laid eyes upon him, and Shuichi was already making a list of notes on him in his head. He had just met the man, but Shuichi could tell there was a lot more to him than meets the eye, and he wanted to unravel the secrets that lay behind that mask.

“I have plotted out a few graveyards I think may be promising,” Kiyo said, finally breaking the silence between them.

“How do you know which ones are promising?”

“Mainly just the locations and ages. There is not much to go off of, if I am being honest. If I give you directions, will you be able to take us there?” Kiyo tapped on his phone once more.

“Uh, yeah, sure. I’m pretty familiar with this city.” Shuichi turned on the car and made his way out of the car park.

“You live here, then?”

“Yeah. I’ve lived here for a while now. My uncle was a detective in this district as well, and I lived with him as well as assisting with his work. He’s retired now, but I’m still working here. Should I go right or left here?”

“Turn right, and at the next intersection turn left. Have you always wanted to be a detective, then?” Kiyo began fiddling with his necklace.

“It’s always been an interest of mine, I suppose,” Shuichi mumbled. He didn’t like talking about his past, especially his past involving detective work. It brought up bad memories for him. 

Kiyo picked up on his discomfort. “I have struck a nerve. I apologize.”

“No, there’s no way you could have known I would be uncomfortable about that. It’s okay.” Shuichi shot him a quick smile. He appreciated how quickly Kiyo was willing to drop the topic. He mentioned before how he liked to observe people; maybe he was good at picking up on social cues because of that?

Kiyo’s eyes crinkled in a way that indicated he smiled back, but Shuichi couldn’t be sure because of the mask. “Take a right here. There should be a small graveyard on the right somewhere down this road.”

“Where are you from, then? From what you’ve said, I’m assuming you aren’t local,” Shuichi asked.

“Mmm… I wouldn’t say I’m from anywhere, exactly. I do have a permanent residence in a suburb much farther up north, but I rarely stay there for long. I am usually traveling, you see.” His fingers picked absentmindedly at his bandages.

“For work, I assume? Can’t bring the ghosts to you,” Shuichi awkwardly laughed, feeling very self conscious all of a sudden. Wow, that was a stupid remark, why did he say that?

“I enjoy traveling, but you are correct to assume most of the time it is for my… work,” Kiyo muttered. “People call me from all over to help them with their ‘problems’, and I feel an obligation to help them.”

Interesting, Shuichi thought. Kiyo seemed to have some reservations about his job. It was almost as if…

“Do you not like it?” he blurted out. “Ah, your work, I mean. You sound like you don’t like it,” he corrected himself, feeling embarrassed.

“No, I… do not mind it. People require help with the paranormal, and not many are willing to go into that field of work. Many would rather stay willfully ignorant of the existence of supernatural creatures, and many are terrified of them. I am one of few who are willing to help. Besides, I do indeed have an interest in it, and I do not hate my work. The graveyard is on the right, by the way.” Kiyo pointed towards a sign up ahead.

_ Evergreen Historic Cemetery _ , it said.

Shuichi turned in. “Historic, huh?”

“Yes. Most of the graves here are from before the 20th century. There is no rule saying a vampire must come from an old grave, but I thought it would be best to check the older sites first. It would be much easier to tell if an older grave has recently been disturbed than a newer one.”

“Yeah, that does make sense.” They got out of the car and Shuichi glanced around. They were slightly outside the city now, surrounded mainly by smaller buildings and grass instead of the large skyscrapers deeper into the city. There were a lot of large, fancy gravestones, as well as a few mausoleums, displaying a multitude of symbols. The whole area was surrounded with a fancy, black metal fence. Shuichi ran his hand along it as they walked to the gate, picking up a decent amount of dirt.

Kiyo held the gate open for him, and they stepped inside. “It should be obvious to us if any of these graves have been disturbed. They are old, so plants should have grown over them unless one has been dug up recently,” he instructed him.

Shuichi walked behind Kiyo, silently studying him. Kiyo’s posture was completely rigid, standing up tall with a perfectly straight back. His long trench coat waved in the wind behind him as he walked. He held his hands behind his back, golden eyes serious as he looked side to side and the graves beneath his feet. Kiyo was soft and feminine, in both looks and actions, but the way he carried himself exuded power. Shuichi understood why his attention had been so thoroughly grabbed back in the waiting room when they first met. The man was intense.

Then, Kiyo suddenly stopped, and Shuichi almost bumped into him. His eyes had widened slightly in shock. “Detective, do you see that?” he said softly, unmoving.

Shuichi followed his gaze to a grave a few rows away, breath hitching when he saw it. The ground had been completely overturned and broken up, caving in front of the headstone. Dirt was carelessly piled up to either side.

Breathlessly, Shuichi asked, “Is that....”

“Yes, Detective. If there is a vampire in this city, this is most likely where they rose from.”

Shuichi snapped out of his trance, shaking his head slightly. “Maybe it’s just a graverobber. That’s a possibility as well.”

Kiyo side-eyed him as he walked towards the destroyed earth. “That is a possibility, yes, but it does not erase the possibility of it also being a vampire. Were you not the one who suggested the idea of a vampire in the first place?” His voice was near playful at the end of his question.

“It’s still shocking, okay?”

Kiyo hummed, amused, as he squatted in front of the grave. “You may want to write this down, Saihara,” he snickered, pointing to the headstone.

Shuichi pulled his pen and journal out of his satchel, fumbling and nearly dropping it, and looked at the headstone. It read “Yasuhiro Taeko, 1868-1891.” Beneath the words, a spade was engraved. He scribbled down the name and date. “Yasuhiro… You think she’s the one?”

Kiyo stood up, brushing dirt off his hands. “I believe this is conclusive evidence, is it not, Detective? Unless, as you said, it was a graverobber.” There was a glint in his eyes as he spoke.

Shuichi shuffled his feet, feeling self conscious once again. “I… I still think the killer is a vampire. I’m almost sure of it. If you say a vampire rose from this grave, I believe you. We should go through city records and see if we can find anything about Yasuhiro Taeko from this time. You said vampires kept their old memories and personalities, right? Maybe we can narrow down where she might be located now based on that.”

Kiyo nodded to him, head held high. “Lead the way, Detective.”

______

The car ride back, for the most part, was quiet. They both watched the road in companionable silence as Shuichi drove them to the city library, where he hoped would be some old newspapers, or any other records that could help identify Yasuhiro Taeko. He would glance at Kiyo from time to time, but the man sat eerily still, except for his fingers worrying the edge of his sleeve. He must have been deep in thought, Shuichi supposed. He wondered what he was thinking about.

Shuichi found a spot near the library and parked, both men stepping out of the car. Kiyo held the door open for him, once again. Another mental note for his list on Kiyo: he holds the door open for people habitually.

“Um… there’s an archive of old town records and documents near the back of the library. Hopefully, they go back far enough,” Shuichi muttered, heading towards the archive room.

“Humanity’s dedication to record keeping is a wonderful thing. People have been obsessively collecting records since the ancient times. Humans and their attachment to their history is a beautiful thing...” Kiyo mused, a certain edge to his voice. His eyes were closed as he held himself tightly.

...Creepy.

“You say that like you aren’t human yourself,” Shuichi questioned. He entered the room, Kiyo following close behind. Maybe his suspicions about Kiyo’s humanity were correct?

“No, I am human.” Well, there goes that theory. “I just feel so… detached, at times.” Kiyo’s eyes glazed over with an indecipherable expression for a moment. “Anyway, where should we start, Saihara? I am unfamiliar with this environment, and I suspect this kind of research is common for a detective.”

Saihara knew when to drop a topic. Kiyo’s reactions raised more questions for Shuichi about him as a person, though. Even more than Shuichi already had.

“Saihara?” Kiyo was looking at him curiously, breaking Saihara out of his thoughts.

“Ah, um, yeah, sorry. I think everything is generally organized by year, so we should check the things during the years Yasuhiro was, um, alive.” He flushed slightly, embarrassed about zoning out.

“Alright. I will tell you if I find anything.” Kiyo dragged his finger along the shelf as he examined the dated documents. Shuichi watched him for a moment before realizing he should  _ also _ be searching for clues.

He perused the shelves, searching for any records between 1868 and 1891. 1908, 1936, 1853… who ordered these? All the years were completely mixed up.

Aha! Saihara stopped and pulled out a binder labelled “1890” and flipped to the first page. It looked like a collection of copied newspaper articles. He scanned each page, not finding much of interest, before a headline caught his eye.

_ “A Legend Falls: Poker Champion Yasuhiro Taeko Suffers First Loss” _

Yasuhiro Taeko was a poker champion, huh? Shuichi’s thoughts wander to the spade he saw engraved on Yasuhiro’s headstone. He guessed the symbol made sense if she was into card games.

_ “Formerly undefeated poker champion Yasuhiro Taeko lost her very first game last Friday evening after a year of winning games. The 22 year old woman, known for her unbreakable poker face and winning streak, finally took her fall because of a 25 year old man named Kawaguchi Katsumi, an upstart rookie who heard of Yasuhiro’s legend and vowed to take her down. _

_ “Many experienced players watching the game suspect Kawaguchi of cheating. ‘I thought at one point I saw him slip something out of his sleeve, but I wasn’t sure,’ one overseer said. ‘It wasn’t until some of us discussed the game later that we realized we all had the same suspicions. We can’t prove it, though, so it doesn’t really matter, does it?’ _

_ “‘I am upset, yes,’ Yasuhiro told reporters, ‘but in the end, it is my own fault.’ When asked about the cheating allegations, Yasuhiro replied, ‘I was unaware of such allegations. Whether or not he cheated, however, I still blame myself. If he did indeed cheat, I should have noticed. Personally, I would like to believe in Kawaguchi’s integrity and I will not be accusing him of anything. In my eyes, the game was fair.’ _

_ “Yasuhiro’s legendary winning streak was a staple among Keysmith Casino regulars. Some are saddened to see her streak come to an end, while others are glad to see Yasuhiro get ‘put in her place,’ as one regular stated. No matter how one may feel about it, this game shall go down in local history.” _

Shuichi blinked, eyes wide. Yasuhiro Taeko was not only an avid poker player, but she had played for over a year before losing a single game? He didn’t know much about poker, but that sounded unreal. Was it possible for someone to go undefeated for so long without cheating?

“Saihara.”

He jumped. Kiyo was standing close beside him, brow furrowed. “I’m sorry for surprising you. I will make sure to better alert you of my presence in the future.”

“No, no, it’s okay. You just moved so silently, I didn’t even notice you approach.” Shuichi smiled to prove he wasn’t upset.

Kiyo’s eyes warmed for a moment, before going serious again. “I see you are reading an article. Did you find something as well?”

“Ah, yes, there’s an article about her from the year 1890. She played a lot of poker, apparently. I’m assuming you found something too, then?”

He gave a small nod. “Our maiden had a very untimely death. I have here an article about her murder.”

“Her… murder?” Shuichi stared, wide-eyed. “I noticed she died young. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised that’s how it happened. Kiyo, will you switch articles with me? I want to read about her murder.”

Kiyo held the paper out to him. “I was about to ask the same question.”

They sat down at some chairs in the middle of the small records room to look over the papers. Shuichi took the opportunity to observe Kiyo, wanting more notes for his mental list on the man. He crossed his legs daintily in a way that looked uncomfortable to Shuichi. His back was straight, not even touching the chair, and his elbows were tucked closely to his sides. His posture looked practiced, too perfect to be natural. His eyes flicked up to Kiyo’s face and he found golden eyes staring back at him.

Kiyo quirked an eyebrow, but he didn’t say anything. Shuichi buried his face into the article he was supposed to be reading. In the corner of his eye, he saw Kiyo look back down at his paper after a moment. Shuichi flushed. He couldn’t believe Kiyo had caught him staring not once, but twice now. And they had basically just met, too! He had to stop making a fool of himself, lest Kiyo began to find him creepy. He tried to calm down his thoughts and focus on reading.

_ “Disaster at the Poker Table: Woman Killed at Keysmith Casino _

_ “Yasuhiro Taeko, 23, was found dead last Friday night at Keysmith Casino. Witnesses say Yasuhiro was playing a game of poker when five aces were played at the same time, indicating someone at the table had cheated. Yasuhiro accused one of the men at her table of playing the cheated card, when an argument was started. When neither party backed down, the man lunged at her and stabbed her, killing her. _

_ “Kawaguchi Katsumi, the man who stabbed Yasuhiro, according to eyewittnesses, is now on trial for her murder. Kawaguchi and Yasuhiro had a strained relationship, due to Kawaguchi breaking Yasuhiro’s undefeated streak around one year ago. ‘The last game she [Yasuhiro] played was meant to be a rematch for that game one year ago. It was the only game Yasuhiro had ever lost. She felt like she needed redemption,’ said the dealer of the deadly game. _

_ “‘Keysmith Casino has lost a valuable player,’ said Mr. Loch Smith, the owner of Keysmith Casino. ‘We all respected Yasuhiro as the best poker player among our ranks. I know Yasuhiro did not cheat. We all know Yasuhiro did not cheat. That bastard [Kawaguchi] took her undefeated title from her, and now he’s taken our favorite poker player from us.’” _

Shuichi hummed as he finished the article. Not only had poker been an important part of Yasuhiro’s life, it had also inadvertently led to her death. 

“This Keysmith Casino… would not happen to still be open, would it, Saihara?”

He looked up to see Kiyo staring at him, record left sitting in his lap. He was tapping his fingers softly against the arm of the chair, but his posture was still perfectly straight.

“Keysmith Casino is still open, yeah. I bet that’s where she’s been hanging out. It’s probably where she’s been finding her victims as well.”

“That is exactly what I was thinking. Well, Detective? When should we begin?” He brought his hand to his cheek. “I will follow your lead.”

He smiled sheepishly at Kiyo. “It is a Friday, which is a pretty busy night for the casino, so we should be able to see her there if she’s really, you know, alive. Er, well, undead? I guess?” He laughed, embarrassed of his rambling. “It’s almost dinnertime, though, and we didn’t exactly eat much at lunch.”

“I need to go back to my hotel room before we can visit the casino, anyway.” Kiyo stood up gracefully, placing the record on a cart for reshelving. “When would you like to meet back up, Detective?”

“Oh, I was actually thinking we could eat together? I’m interested in hearing about your travels.” Shuichi noticed Kiyo look down, shifting his weight awkwardly at the suggestion. “Unless, of course, you don’t want to! We don’t have to eat together!” he added quickly. He didn’t want to make Kiyo uncomfortable.

“No, it is okay, Saihara,” Kiyo said, making eye contact with Shuichi. “I would love to tell you of my travels. If you wish to eat together, we can. Did you have a place in mind? I’ve never been to this city before, so I do not know what is good here.”

Kiyo held the door open for Shuichi as they left the library. “Hmm… There’s a place within walking distance of here that I really like. We could go there?”

“Lead the way, Detective.”

“You can call me Shuichi, you know,” Shuichi laughed softly. “Feels weird to call you Kiyo while you just call me Detective or Saihara.”

Kiyo tilted his head, and Shuichi assumed by the look in his eyes that he was smiling. “Very well, Shuichi. While we walk, would you like me to tell you a story of my travels?”

He felt his lips quirk up in return. “I would love to hear a story.”

“Hmm… once, I was visiting a town in the mountains, and the townsfolk noticed that random items were going missing. They called me in when someone witnessed a large, humanoid creature stealing his cat in the middle of the night…”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiyo tells Shuichi about the beginning of his investigating career. Shuichi ponders the fate of his and Kiyo’s relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is where some of my Kiyo headcanons begin to shine through. It’s not explored much in this fic, though, and it can be interpreted in any way you wish.

“There’s no way you communicated with an actual yeti. I refuse to believe it.”

Kiyo snickered, leaning his face into his hand. “Kehehe… No, no, I definitely did. Luckily, it had been around for a while, and enjoyed observing the humans of the town, so it understood small amounts of their language. Even then, it took a while to communicate with it what stealing was and why it was bad.”

Shuichi laughed. They were sitting at the restaurant he had picked out, waiting for their food, as Kiyo finished up his story. He had learned a lot about the man just from this one conversation. Firstly, he was an amazing storyteller. That wasn’t surprising, as Shuichi assumed he would be between his life experiences and interest in mythology, but the way he told stories was captivating. He had great pacing, and his voice was full of such character that Shuichi could tell he enjoyed telling the stories as much as Shuichi enjoyed hearing them.

Secondly, Kiyo was  _ funny,  _ which Shuichi did find surprising. He thought that Kiyo would end up being a serious man, between the way he carried himself and his way of speech, but he had a biting sarcastic attitude and dry sense of humor that lended itself well to jokes. He would pepper in the occasional sarcastic statement that always managed to catch Shuichi off guard, and made him laugh.

Thirdly, Kiyo was a good conversation partner. Since their first few conversations had been a bit awkward and short, he thought they would struggle to keep conversations going. Instead, all Shuichi had to do was ask Kiyo for a story, and he would probably be able to entertain Shuichi for hours if they had the time. He made sure to store all this in his mental list of Kiyo notes.

“What happened to him, in the end? The yeti, I mean.” 

“It returned all the silly, random things it had stolen- and the cat, of course- to the townsfolk.” While Kiyo talked, their food was brought, and they thanked the server as she left. “I believe now they live in harmony. The townsfolk leave the yeti gifts every so often, so it no longer needs to steal to get things. They are happy together.” He brought a bite of food to his face, and-

“Wait!”

Kiyo stopped, eyes boring into him with confusion. Shuichi stuttered, “Ah, um, aren’t you going to take off the mask to eat? Won’t it get messy?” He did drink his tea earlier that day without taking it off, but liquid was different from solid food. He couldn’t just pour it through the slit like Shuichi  _ assumed _ he did with the tea.

Kiyo set his fork down. “You are right. That would have been embarrassing. Excuse me,” he said, standing up. “I will be back momentarily.” Shuichi then watched him as he walked to the restroom.

Mentally, he fist pumped. He was going to see Kiyo without his mask on! The curiosity over it had been killing him. What did he look like? Was there any particular reason he wore it? All Shuichi could really see of him were his eyes and long hair. He wondered what his face looked like fully uncovered. He could tell Kiyo had a defined jawline even through the fabric of the mask. Maybe-

“I have returned.” Kiyo sat back down at the table, still wearing the same mask.

“I thought- Didn’t you say- Weren’t you going to take off the mask? To eat?” Shuichi spluttered.

“I did. This one is for eating.” Kiyo cocked his head and looked at Shuichi like  _ he _ was the crazy one.

“You… have a different mask. Specifically for eating. That looks exactly the same,” Shuichi stated, dumbfounded.

“Yes. This one is for eating. I also have one for exercising, and for sleeping… I even have one for bathing.” The look in his eyes shifted into something mischievous. Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing, didn’t he?

Shuichi stared at him a moment longer, before sighing and looking down at his plate. “I’m just not going to question it,” he muttered. Kiyo laughed at him. Looks like his curiosity was not going to be satiated today, after all. Another day, perhaps.

...Assuming he kept in contact with Kiyo after they were done working on this case.

They ate in silence as Shuichi receded into his thoughts. For the first time that day, he thought about what was going to happen after they finished this case, and Kiyo left. He obviously wouldn’t be staying here, he lived somewhere else and he had to travel for a living. Besides, he had just met Kiyo today. Just a few hours ago, even. What made him think they were going to continue talking after this? Speaking of, why did Shuichi want to keep in contact?

He had really enjoyed his time with Kiyo so far. He was an enigma of a man, and Shuichi wanted to keep observing him and trying to figure him out. But even beyond his curiosity surrounding the mystery that was Kiyo, Shuichi really liked him just as a person. He wanted to hear more of Kiyo’s stories, and he wanted to hear more about Kiyo himself, and he wanted to… actually be Kiyo’s friend.

God, why did Shuichi have to struggle so much with social situations?

“Penny for your thoughts?”

He looked up to see Kiyo poking around at the food on his plate. He hadn’t eaten much of it, and Shuichi guessed he wouldn’t be eating any more of it. Interesting. Another note for his list: Kiyo did not eat much, or at least not around others.

Kiyo glanced up at him expectantly. Right, he had asked Shuichi a question.

“I was just thinking about how much I like your stories.” Not a lie, technically.

“Kehehe… I’m glad to hear it.” He set his fork down, apparently giving up on eating for now. “May I ask you a question, Shuichi?”

“Ah, um, yeah, what is it?”

“What, exactly, is your connection with the paranormal?”

Shuichi swallowed, saliva thick. “What… do you mean?”

Kiyo’s eyes closed, and he held himself closely. “You do not have to answer if you do not wish to. However, there is a reason you were quick to latch onto your vampire theory. Most would be quick to cast the idea off. Only one who has a great attachment to the supernatural would pick up on the possibility of a vampire and believe in it so strongly. And one does not develop a great attachment to the supernatural before having experienced it themselves. I know this from experience.” Kiyo was leaning forwards, and Shuichi could feel his eyes boring into his soul.

“It’s, ah, it’s really personal. And I try not to think about it much. Sorry,” he mumbled. Kiyo was right; Shuichi had gotten his interest in the paranormal from a personal experience. He hadn’t seen it himself, but he knew it had happened. He was sure of it. He didn’t want to share that with Kiyo, though, no matter how much he liked him. He didn’t even want to think about it himself.

Kiyo leaned back into his normal position, closing his eyes again. “I did say you did not have to answer if you wished. I believe I got all the answers I needed, anyway. I apologize for digging up painful memories.”

“I forgive you.”

Kiyo visibly flinched when he said that, arms wrapping around himself. That’s an… interesting reaction. Another note for his list. Did Kiyo not like being forgiven when he apologized? On that note, why did Kiyo apologize so much in the first place?

Kiyo pried his hands from where he was tightly holding himself and collected his composure almost instantly. “If we are going to the casino tonight, I must return to my hotel room first. If you are done eating, I would like to leave now,” he stated bluntly.

“Uh, yeah, I’m done.” Shuichi thought about prodding on how little Kiyo had eaten, but he was obviously upset already and he didn’t want to make it worse. Another day, perhaps.

They split the bill and left, an uncomfortable silence settling over them on the walk back to his car.

__________

“What hotel are you staying in, Kiyo?”

Kiyo was playing with his pendant, and it took a few seconds for his unfocused eyes to regain their usual sharp edge. “Ah… the Gatewater Hotel, I believe.” For someone who had been so well put together just a few minutes earlier, Kiyo now seemed distracted and dazed.

“Ah, I know how to get there. It isn’t too far away from here.” Before the suffocating silence could smother them again, Shuichi added, “Could you… tell me another story? We probably have time for a short one.”

He perked up at the mention of a story. “Ah, a short story… I could tell you of my first mystery. The one that started my career, as it were.”

“Sounds interesting. I’d love to hear it.”

“Hmm… as I told you before, I used to be an anthropologist. I was visiting a village on one of my travels to study their unorthodox traditions surrounding death. The residents had been passing down these traditions for centuries. It was a wonderful opportunity and a blessing that they had allowed me to visit and observe their rituals.

“However, on the night that I arrived, all night long an unnatural screeching kept me up. Whatever the noise was, it was too loud and too high pitched to have been an animal or human, but I had no clue from what it could be coming.”

“It didn’t occur to you that it might have been supernatural?” 

“No, not at first. As an anthropologist, I studied many different legends, and knew that there was evidence of the existence of such entities, but I had never experienced it myself. Like most, I knew of the possibility, but in my mind, I saw it as a last resort. Extremely unlikely. My mind was not wired to expect the paranormal. I’ve noticed people only actively think of the paranormal after they experience it themselves.” Kiyo’s eyes were closed as he explained.

“Which is why you asked me before what my experience was?” Shuichi guessed that made sense.

“Precisely. Getting back to the story, when I met with the village residents the next morning, I asked them about the sound. They said it had started two weeks ago, and they had not been able to find what was making it. It had not stopped for even a single night since it had begun.

“The next night, out of sheer desperation, I followed the sound into the woods with nothing but a flashlight and a small knife.” At Shuichi’s laugh, he added, “I know, it was foolish of me, but I had not slept the night before and it must have been around one in the morning. I was not thinking of much beyond eliminating the noise so that I may rest.

“I do not know what I was expecting when I followed the screeching into the forest that night, but I believe not much would have prepared me for what I saw.”

Shuichi held his breath as Kiyo paused for suspense. The way Kiyo told stories was so engaging, Shuichi felt drawn in. “What… did you see?”

“A banshee.”

He gasped. “No, you didn’t. No way.”

“Yes. I did. She was standing, or I suppose hovering, in the middle of a clearing. I could barely register her existence; I thought, for a moment, I was hallucinating, but then she screamed. It was so loud, I dropped my flashlight to cover my ears, and stumbled backwards over a dead tree before falling. It… was not my proudest moment.”

Shuichi laughed hard, parking near the hotel. “I would have loved to see that,” he said between deep breaths. “What happened then? Did she see you?”

“Of course she saw me. I wasn’t exactly subtle, Shuichi. She stopped in the middle of her scream to turn around and look at me. I feared for my life, but I was too disoriented to stand up and run.”

“Did you die?” he jokingly asked, walking into the hotel. “What floor are you on?”

“The fifteenth. And no, I did not die. Banshees are usually forewarnings of death, not bringers of death. She grabbed my hand to pull me up, and then asked if I was alright. In a completely normal voice, by the way. No screeching.”

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside before Kiyo continued. “I was still dazed, and simply responded, ‘Can you please be quiet? I’m trying to sleep.’”

“Kiyo, that’s  _ terrible, _ ” Shuichi laughed out.

“I know. Once I got my bearings back, I apologized, but she luckily was not offended. Now, I had read of banshees before, but this banshee did not match any of the descriptions I had heard. First of all, she looked like a teenage girl who had just entered her punk phase.”

“That’s,” Shuichi stuttered, struggling to breathe between fits of laughter, “that’s incredible.”

“She wasn’t crying, either, which is usually a staple of being a banshee. After speaking with her, I learned she had been trying to  _ sing. _ She loved to sing while she was alive, but she had been strangled two weeks earlier. I assumed this was the reason why in death she was unable to sing. Well, actually, she insisted what she was doing was still singing. Something about ‘screamo.’” They left the hotel and walked down the hallway, where Kiyo opened the door to his room and gestured for a hysterically laughing Shuichi to walk inside, who plopped down on a chair to try and regain his composure.

“I deducted the reason her ghost was still on this plane was because her village had been unable to locate her corpse to perform their traditional death ritual. Between my knowledge on ghosts, and her memories from life, we were able to find where she had been buried. The next morning, I gave her body to her family and her spirit was properly guided to the afterlife.

“I have spoken to her twice since. Apparently, in the afterlife, she can now sing in her normal voice and her banshee ‘screamo’ voice. She’s happy now, and I am happy for her.”

While Kiyo opened his suitcase and began to look through it, Shuichi calmed himself down and realized the implications of his last statement. “You can talk to dead people?” he blurted out without thinking.

Kiyo looked at him through the corner of his eye. “Anyone can talk to the dead, Shuichi. It just takes someone who knows how.”

The giddiness from his laughing episode had worn off, and Shuichi now felt very serious. “Do… you know how?” He clenched his jaw, feeling tense from just the idea talking to the dead. If he had the opportunity, would he?

“I do.” Kiyo didn’t look at him, and he didn’t ask why he wanted to know. He had probably already figured out why.

Silence fell over the two, except for the noise of Kiyo rummaging through his suitcase. For once, Shuichi was glad for the silence. He was glad Kiyo wasn’t pressing the issue, even though Shuichi knew he wanted to.

Kiyo pulled out a few things, and walked over to where Shuichi was sitting, silently holding the items out to him. In his hands were a switchblade, a bag of dried berries, and a beaded necklace with a silver cross on the end.

“What are these?” Shuichi asked as he took the assorted items. It felt heavier than he was expecting.

“An iron switchblade, some dried hawthorn, and an iron cross pendant. They are all weaknesses for vampires. If we have the possibility of confronting one, especially one as violent as our killer seems to be, we will need protection.” Kiyo walked back to his suitcase, putting a set of matching items into the pockets of his trenchcoat. 

“Iron? I thought vampires were weak to silver or something.”

“Silver is for werewolves, Shuichi.” He side-eyed Shuichi with amusement clear on his face. He shut his suitcase and turned to face him. “I am ready to go when you are, Shuichi.”

Shuichi took all his uncomfortable thoughts and put them in a box for later. It was time to take action. He could mull over talking to the dead and Kiyo’s strange behavior when they were done with the case.

“I’m ready. Let’s go.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The partners confront their possible vampire, but Kiyo isn’t taking it well, and Shuichi is feeling a bit lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more of my Kiyo headcanons slipped into this chapter, whoops! Can you guess who my favorite character is yet?

The casino was incredibly bright, and incredibly loud. Shuichi started to feel overwhelmed within minutes of entering the building, and he could tell Kiyo was in the same boat. They were currently in the slot machine area of the casino, and Shuichi was quickly realizing just how far out of his element he was. The casino was a large building, and he had no clue how to navigate it, or where any specific rooms were.

“Have you ever been to a casino before?” Shuichi half yelled at Kiyo over the noise of the slot machines.

“No, I have not. I am sure we’ll find poker tables if we walk around for a while. Hopefully it’s quieter there,” Kiyo yelled back as he rubbed his temples. He lightly grasped Shuichi’s wrist and led him through the crowded area, looking back and forth to hopefully spot the poker area. Shuichi couldn’t do much except let himself be pulled along.

Fortunately, it didn’t take him long to find it. They entered a large room, filled wall to wall with tables surrounded by poker players. The area was still loud, but without the added noise of the slot machines it was quiet enough that they didn’t have to yell to each other and Shuichi could finally hear his own thoughts. Kiyo led him to the back where they sat down at a bar.

Kiyo ordered himself a glass of water, and looked at Shuichi. “I will pay if you want a drink. I would highly suggest you do not drink alcohol, however. We need to be at the best of our abilities if we run into her tonight.” 

“Ah, um, thanks. I’ll just have water too, though.” They got their drinks and observed the room ahead of them.

Kiyo tapped his shoulder, and then wordlessly pointed to a table not too far from the bar. At the table were three men and two women. One of the men was obnoxiously flirting with one of the women, who looked very uninterested. She was trying her hardest to reject the man’s advances without hurting his feelings, while the woman sitting next to her was stifling a laugh.

“You don’t think one of them is her, do you?” None of them looked much like vampires, but looks can be deceiving, Shuichi supposed. Actually, he had no idea what a vampire might look like… that could be a problem.

“No. None of them are who we are looking for. I just thought you would like to observe them with me. It’s an interesting interaction.” Kiyo’s eyes glimmered as he watched the scene play out.

“What’s so interesting about it? It just looks like another case of unwanted flirting to me.”

Kiyo pointed again at the two women. “See anything odd about them? What they’re wearing, perhaps?”

Shuichi squinted as he looked closer. Something they were wearing… their clothes looked like normal Friday night outing clothes, and there was nothing special about their jewelry… except-

“The women are wearing matching wedding rings. You think they’re married.”

Kiyo snickered as he took a sip of his drink. “No, I’m sure they are married. From the way they are laughing, they think this is amusing. I wonder if they’ve hinted to him of their marital status, but he’s too intoxicated or idiotic to catch on.”

Sure enough, one of the women put up her left hand, and pulled up the other woman’s hand to show the man. His face turned red, and although they couldn’t hear the conversation from here, it looked like he was profusely apologizing.

“Ah, a happy ending. How beautiful, that exchange. The way the women handled it, the man’s response… humanity can be positively wonderful.” Kiyo looked wistfully at them before scanning the room once again to find another group to watch. It only took a few seconds before Kiyo tapped his shoulder again and pointed to a different section of the room.

This table was much farther away from them, and he couldn’t see much of what was happening. However, sitting at the table was a woman who looked very out of place. Her skin was on the pale side, and her eyes were blood red. These things alone would not be strange, but the clothing she was wearing looked fancy and old fashioned. She wore a gothic, black lace dress that stuck out among the sea of modern day normal clothing. There was a large amount of poker chips in front of her compared to the other players who all looked pissed off and tired.

“You see it, right Shuichi?” Kiyo was looking straight at him, eyes serious.

“If she’s here, that has to be her.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.” He stood up. “Let us see when her game will finish. It would be rude to interrupt it, don’t you think?”

“I, uh, you want to do this now? Shouldn’t we observe her behavior or something first?”

“I like to be hands on in my observations, Shuichi, and we cannot see anything from this far away.”

Shuichi sighed and followed Kiyo as he slowly made his way to the woman’s table. “I guess you’re right.”

Kiyo stopped and leaned against the wall near the table, appearing more casual than Shuichi had seen him all day. They both watched the game the woman was playing, and Shuichi tried to act normal, but his nerves were getting the better of him. Shuichi could hardly understand what was going on in the game; he knew little to nothing about poker, and half of what they were saying was gibberish to him. He was trying very hard not to look up at the woman they suspected. 

He didn’t last very long before his eyes instinctively glanced at her. She was sitting with perfect posture, like Kiyo always did, and she had a strange metal claw- no, ring?- on her right pointer finger. She appeared to be paying little attention to her game, and was instead staring at Kiyo, who had yet to look up from the game. Her eyes were narrowed, and she appeared to be studying him. If Kiyo noticed her staring (and Shuichi could say he most likely had from personal experience), he was pretending not to know.

“Interesting…” Shuichi heard him mutter under his breath, hand caressing his face. “I will admit, I know little about poker, but observing the players’ interactions is fascinating. The way they must lie to each other, pretend they feel differently than they do...” He wasn’t talking to anyone in particular; Kiyo looked like he was in his own little world.

After another winning round for their potential vampire, the rest of the table let out a collective groan. “That’s it. I concede. You’re one hell of a poker player, Celestia,” one of the players said. The whole table stood up and shook each others’ hands. Her name was Celestia? Was it possible she wasn’t Yasuhiro, then? It could be a fake name as well, he mused. He shouldn’t rule anything out this early into the night.

The players dispersed, and the woman- Celestia- walked towards them. Shuichi pulled his hat down over his face, avoiding looking at her as she made her way over.

“Hello there. What brought you to our little game?”

Shuichi took a risk and looked up slightly at her, but she was instead talking to Kiyo. She had skipped right over Shuichi, and didn’t seem to be interested in him in the slightest.

“I noticed your unusually one-sided game and wanted to observe. I also must say, you stand out in a crowd,” Kiyo stated smoothly. Shuichi was impressed at how cool he was acting.

“I could say the same about you, Mister…”

“Shinguji. Shinguji Korekiyo. My associate here is Saihara Shuichi.” Kiyo gestured to him and he gave an awkward wave, but Shuichi was hoping he would be left out of the conversation. He would probably ruin it with his social awkwardness.

“Mister Shinguji. My name is Celestia Ludenburg. It is a pleasure to meet you.” Celestia curtsied to Kiyo, which he returned with a small bow. “I have not seen you here before. I would remember a man such as yourself.” She spoke with a slight European accent, sounding posh.

“I am not much of a gambler. That, and I am from out of town.”

“If you are not a gambler, why are you here, Mister Shinguji?” Celestia’s face was kind and calm, but her voice was dripping with malice. Shuichi noticed Kiyo’s eye twitch in annoyance, or maybe frustration.

“I am an anthropologist, Ms. Ludenberg. I observe humanity for a living. The way humans gamble, and lie to each other for the sake of money… it is beautiful, is it not?” Kiyo’s voice answered her with the same amount of malice.

“I must disagree with you there, for many reasons. Gambling is more than just lying for money.” She motioned to the empty table behind her. “Mister Shinguji, would you like to sit? My feet are tired, but I would like to continue our conversation.”

“Is it not rude to sit at a poker table that one may want to use for a game?”

Celestia smiled with a small laugh. “They will not mind. I am admired here.”

“If you insist, Ms. Ludenberg.” Kiyo pulled out a chair for Celestia before sitting down himself. Shuichi awkwardly sat down next to him, feeling out of place in their subtly hostile banter. “You say you are admired here. Are you local?”

“I have lived here all my life. I am a very talented gambler, and the people here recognize that.”

Shuichi once again had the thought that this was not Yasuhiro; if Celestia had been going here so long that she was recognized, there was no way she had only risen two weeks ago. But after thinking through it, Yasuhiro had lived here her whole life, and would have the entire two weeks of her undead life as well. She was recognized at this very casino in life, and it would not be a stretch to say her fame had returned within these two short weeks if she was truly so talented. She could technically be telling the truth and still be Yasuhiro.

“Celestia Ludenberg is not a very common name for a local, don’t you think? Your accent also sounds too European to be from here.” Kiyo leaned forwards onto the table, resting his head in his hand. Once again, he sat in the most casual way he had seen Kiyo sit. Was this part of an act?

“Hmm. You dress interestingly, Mister Shinguji. Your mask… it is very unique.” She dodged the question. Shuichi concluded that Celestia Ludenberg must have been a fake name.

Kiyo did not mention the sudden change in subject. “My way of dress is very personal to me. Your attire is also unique, I must say. Your dress is gorgeous; it resembles that of the Victorian period. If I didn’t know any better, I would say it was authentic.”

Shuichi often did not know what was going on inside Kiyo’s head, thanks to the mask covering his expressions, but he wanted to know what he was thinking now more than anything. Their seemingly casual conversation was filled with hidden accusations and threats, and Shuichi was having trouble keeping up. He had no idea what Kiyo’s plan of action was, and thus, he had no way of helping him carry it out. He felt useless.

Celestia leaned forwards, breaking into Kiyo’s personal space as he tried to lean back and away. “Mister Shinguji, you apply your eyeliner well. It is unusual to see a man with that kind of skill.”

“I am flattered, Ms. Ludenberg.”

Were they… flirting? Was this part of Kiyo’s plan? Their words were still filled with such anger, it couldn’t be real flirting. Shuichi felt so lost. How was this going to help with anything?

“Mister Shinguji. Would you like to play a game with me?” Celestia leaned back into her normal position, but kept her hand near Kiyo’s on the table.

“A game? Of poker, I presume? As I said before, I am not a gambler. I also did not bring any money to gamble with tonight.”

“Oh, we wouldn’t bet money. I win so often, I get bored of betting money. I was thinking about… something different.” She flashed him an innocent smile.

“Kehehe… something different, you say? What did you have in mind?” They stared intensely into each others’ eyes, and Shuichi could almost see the angry sparks coming off of them.

“If I win, I would like you to take me back to your hotel room.”

So, they  _ were _ flirting. Shuichi stopped for a moment as he had an epiphany. Each victim was male, had dark hair, pale skin… All traits that described Kiyo. Had Kiyo come into this knowing Yasuhiro would want to make him her victim? Shuichi marveled at Kiyo’s intelligence. The man could probably be a better detective than himself.

Well, to be fair, Shuichi thought most could be a better detective than himself, but that’s beside the point.

“Usually, would it not be I who asked you that? A bit of a role reversal, wouldn’t you say?” Kiyo cocked his head, still keeping eye contact with Celestia.

She softly laughed in response. “I suppose it is, Mister Shinguji. Do you wish to play or not?”

“I accept your invitation for a game, Celestia. If you win, I shall take you to my hotel room. If I win, I want you to answer a few questions for me.”

“Is that all you want, Mister Shinguji?” She looked at him with predatory eyes. “Very well. I accept your terms. On one condition,” she added, expression turning sly.

“What would that be, Ms. Ludenberg?” Kiyo narrowed his eyes, suspiciously staring her down.

“I ask you take off that mask of yours. As… dashing, as you look in it, I refuse to play with someone I cannot see the face of.” Her fingers danced across the table, clawed ring tapping down loudly.

“That is…” Kiyo looked extremely uncomfortable, holding himself tightly and finally breaking eye contact. “I cannot do that, Ms. Ludenberg.”

“Hmm…” She continued to look at him with a mischievous face, even with him not looking back. “That is disappointing, Mister Shinguji. I was looking forward to our game… and our night together.” She tapped her clawed finger once more on the table before shifting her eyes over to Shuichi. “Unless… your associate takes your place?”

Shuichi swallowed hard as Celestia stared him down. Kiyo turned to look at him as though he had forgotten Shuichi was there; in fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if he had during his high-stress fake-flirting conversation with Celesia. He furrowed his brow, thinking seriously about the offer.

“Very well, Ms. Ludenberg. Mr. Saihara shall play in my place. If he is willing, of course?” Kiyo’s eyes were full of sympathy and apologies, giving him one last out if need be. Shuichi was not about to back down, however. He was going to be useful in this situation, even if he had to play an unfamiliar game with a woman who he was sure wanted to tear his guts out.

“It’s okay. I’ll play. I’m afraid I’ve never played poker before, though.”

Celestia smiled at him, sickeningly sweet with false innocence. “That is okay, Mister Saihara. I doubt it will make much of a difference.”

__________

As it turns out, Shuichi was shit at poker.

It took no time at all for him to lose to Celestia. He didn’t even win a single round. Even though Shuichi knew Celestia- no, Yasuhiro, he was sure of it now- would have beaten him no matter how well he knew poker, he still felt like a failure.

Kiyo tapped him on the shoulder, leaning down to whisper into Shuichi’s ear. “You did well, Saihara. No need to despair.” He straightened once again and (presumably) smiled at Celestia. “A deal is a deal, Ms Ludenberg. I shall take you to my room as promised. It is within walking distance, if you would like to walk with me? It is a nice night, after all. Oh, but Mr. Saihara is staying in the same building. Of course, we will be alone in my room when we arrive, but is it alright if he walks along with us?”

Lies. It was all lies. Gatewater Hotel was twenty minutes away by car, which was by no means within walking distance. Shuichi was not staying at the same building as Kiyo, he lived in the city and was staying in his hotel. The lies came off of Kiyo’s tongue with the same amount of conviction as if he were telling the truth. If Shuichi did not know otherwise, he would have believed him. Shuichi hoped Celestia believed him as well.

“That is fine, Mister Shinguji.” Celestia walked over to Kiyo and placed her hand on his cheek, metal ring grazing lightly over his face. Kiyo tensed, looking extremely uncomfortable, but he did not say anything. “Or, perhaps, should I call you Korekiyo?”

Kiyo eyed her, suspicion and discomfort in his eyes. “Call me what you like, Ms. Ludenberg. I am sure we will not see much of each other after tonight, anyway.”

Her smile widened slightly. “You would be correct, Korekiyo.” He saw Kiyo flinch at the way she said his name, but he somehow held himself together. Shuichi was impressed at his ability to stay calm despite… whatever was going on in front of him. “You can call me Celestia, by the way.”

Kiyo held his arm out to Celestia, linking elbows with her. “Shall we go then,  _ Celestia _ ?” The poison that dripped from the way he said her name made Shuichi shudder. He didn’t even know Kiyo was capable of being this angry.

Shuichi followed the couple out of the casino, feeling like an awkward third wheel despite knowing the ulterior motives both parties had. He walked behind them, internally cringing for Kiyo as Celestia’s hand moved from his arm to his hair, combing her hands through it. In response, Kiyo moved his hand down to her lower back. Despite leaving the casino, the pair appeared to be continuing their games. Shuichi felt uncomfortable for both of them.

Around five minutes into their walk, Kiyo took a small look around. Shuichi looked around with him; the area they had arrived at was completely empty except for the three. Shuichi then watched in a daze as Kiyo grabbed Celestia around the waist and quickly pulled the both of them into an alleyway.

He stood shocked for half a second before it occurred to him that he should be helping Kiyo. He ran into the alley behind them.

Kiyo was straddling Celestia who had been shoved onto the ground, and he was holding the iron cross pendant above her face. Celestia looked shocked, angry, but also frightened all at the same time as she struggled to get out of his grip. Kiyo’s expression had turned to something Shuichi had never seen before. His eyes were blown wide, and there was a certain crazed madness that chilled Shuichi to the bone, but drew him in, curiosity peaked at the same time. Sweat dripped down his temple, and Shuichi wasn’t sure if he was smiling or scowling under that mask of his.

“Shuichi, I could- hrg- I’m struggling to- grk!-  _ Could I please get some help from the detective in this situation, please?” _ Kiyo managed to cry out, desperately struggling to keep Celestia from getting away as he simultaneously attempted to pull the dried hawthorn berries out of his pocket.

Shuichi snapped out of his shock and ran over to them, pulling out his own cross and switchblade as he kneeled down next to Kiyo. “What- what do I do?”

“You are the detective, Shuichi! Is it not your job to apprehend criminals?” Kiyo finally opened the bag of berries with his shaking hands and pushed them into the bare skin of Celestia’s neck, and she hissed loudly at the contact.

“It- it is, but this is my first official murder case and she’s a  _ vampire _ and-”

“How the hell did you find out?” Celestia hissed at him, European accent completely dropped in favor of a much more local one. Her eyes slightly glowed in anger in the dimly lit alleyway. She was losing her composure fast.

“It is not wise to walk around in the clothes you were buried in, Ms. Celestia Ludenberg. Or rather, Ms. Yasuhiro Taeko. Am I correct in that assumption?” Kiyo lowered the cross dangling from the chain in his hand closer to Yasuhiro’s face, and she turned her head to keep away from it. Her chest was heaving with anger.

“You- you- you ASSHOLE!” she cried. “How? How did you find out? No one suspected a thing! No one even  _ thinks _ about the existence of vampires!”

“Ms. Yasuhiro, please calm down. I am an expert in the occult and the supernatural. I shall admit, I have never worked with vampires before, but you did not make it hard.”

Celestia struggled again, but Shuichi put his hands down onto her shoulders, attempting to incapacitate her further.

“Your century old grave was left freshly dug up among dozens of immaculate graves.” He dropped the cross even lower, grip on her neck tightening. “Detective Saihara used the name we found on that grave to background check for records. You went straight back to where you were in life. You are not subtle, Yasuhiro.”

Shuichi stared in awe at Kiyo. Sure, he had accompanied Kiyo throughout the entire investigation, but the way he spoke made it seem like Kiyo had known where they were headed from the beginning. It was like Kiyo had been three steps ahead at every turn. 

“Detective Saihara was the first to suggest the possibility of a vampire. He also noticed your preference in victims, which I exploited to get you alone.” Kiyo looked up at Shuichi as he said it, a knowing look in his eyes.  _ I couldn’t have done it without you,  _ the look wordlessly said. Shuichi felt pride bubble up in his chest.

Celestia stopped struggling and looked up at them, a serious look back in her eyes. “I had to do it, you know,” she said, calm composure having returned. “I would have died if I hadn’t killed those men. Vampires need to drink blood to survive.” She looked as though she was pleading. A pang of guilt stabbed through his chest.

“No.” Kiyo looked down at her, that crazed look returning to his eyes. “You did not kill to feed, Yasuhiro. You killed for sport. A vampire needs only to feed once every two to three months. We know you killed five times within two weeks. You would have noticed your hunger and whether or not you needed to feed that frequently.”

She tried to interject, “But-”

“The deaths were also overly violent. You did not have to tear into the men’s flesh to feed from them. You chose to make them suffer, Yasuhiro. You did it all with purpose.” Kiyo’s eyes became sharper, angrier. “You cannot hide anything from me.”

Shuichi watched as Celestia’s calm composure cracked. Her eyes twitched, her smile going from pleading to angry. “You’re just like him, you know,” she spat.

Kiyo leaned back in surprise as though he had been shocked, confusion filling his eyes. “Like… who?”

“Like that bastard who killed me. That bastard who killed my career’s  _ spotless _ record and then killed me. The way you speak, how you present yourself, it’s just like him. If your hair was shorter, you would be exactly the same person.” Her breathing had become deep, and her eyes were burning with furious anger. “I can see it in your eyes, Korekiyo. You’re just like him. There is something wrong with you, Korekiyo. I can tell. It’s in your eyes.” She smiled sweetly the whole time, contrasting the hostility and desperation dripping from her words.

Kiyo loosened his grip on her, her words triggering a moment of weakness, eyes wide and unfocused like they had been in the car before. In his weakness, Celestia lunged upwards and flipped their positions, pinning him below her in a feat of sudden strength. Kiyo just lay there, confidence gone, eyes glazed over. It was as if he was no longer aware of the world.

Celestia opened her mouth, previously hidden long fangs shining in the dim light as she went to bite down hard into Kiyo’s covered neck. At Kiyo’s scream, Shuichi finally jumped into action. He flipped open the iron switchblade, and stabbed it into Celestia’s- no, Yasuhiro’s- shoulder.

She released her jaw from Kiyo’s neck as she let out a shrill scream, before falling limp on top of Kiyo. He pulled the knife out of her shoulder, and felt heat radiating off of the area surrounding the wound. He gently pushed the tear in her clothing open, and saw the skin surrounding the cut blistering as though it had been burnt. He took his hands away quickly in shock.

“Shuichi…” a weak voice mumbled. Oh god, that’s right, Kiyo!

“I’m so, so sorry Kiyo,” he rambled as he pulled Celestia off of the man. “I should have reacted earlier. How hard did she bite? Are you bleeding? No, of course you’re bleeding, she bit you, just-”

“Please, Shuichi…” he muttered. “I… don’t think she bit too hard. I think I’d… still like to visit a hospital, though.”

“Of course, I should have called them before I did anything else.” He pulled out his phone and made a couple calls, hands shaking. One to 911 to get Kiyo and Celestia emergency treatment (even vampires should be treated with humanity, he felt), and another to the police station about Yasuhiro’s capture and confession. When he turned back around, pulling out handcuffs that he admittedly should have put on Yasuhiro earlier, he saw Kiyo dragging himself towards Celestia, knife in hand and mad look back in his eyes.

“Woah, Kiyo, stop! What are you doing?” He pulled the weakened Kiyo back away from Yasuhiro’s unconscious body before he could plunge the knife into her stomach. “We can’t kill her! We need her alive for police questioning!” He leaned Kiyo up against the alley wall before putting the handcuffs onto the vampire.

He didn’t say anything, just looked up at Shuichi, dazed and tired, before shutting his eyes, breathing deeply. The scene he had just witnessed… that was nothing like the Kiyo he had been with all day. Shuichi felt dizzy, and his stomach twisted with anxiety. There were too many thoughts, too many feelings flooding his head to make sense of anything at that moment. He leaned back against the brick alley wall, covering his eyes with his arms.

The ambulance arrived not long after, taking Kiyo and Celestia to the hospital and leaving Shuichi to deal with the police.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiyo and Shuichi may only have known each other for a day, but the bond they feel is strong. Kiyo can’t stay in this city forever, but Shuichi doesn’t want to split up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here’s the end! Again, some more Kiyo headcanons, but I am a simple man who projects too much, can you blame me? Also, yes, I designed that outfit purely because I wanted to draw Kiyo wearing it (the way I uploaded the file kinda ruined the quality though :( ). I'm playing around with some ideas for a couple other fics for this AU, so hopefully I get around to writing those too one day ^^; Thank you all for reading!!

Kiyo awoke with an excruciating headache and a sharp pain in the side of his neck.

At first, he felt disoriented. He had no idea where he was, but he was too tired to open his eyes and check. It felt like his eyelids had been cemented shut. His mind was loud and throbbing with pain. It was too much to think through, and he just wanted it to stop.

He lay patiently, allowing himself to wake up a bit more before attempting to recall what had happened and where he currently was. The pounding in his head eventually died down to the point where he could think.

Alright. Begin by thinking through the events of the day. He was working on something with the detective he met… Saihara Shuichi. That was his name. He was working on a case with Saihara Shuichi, because… because he suspected there was a vampire involved, and Kiyo knew about vampires. That sounded correct.

And then they went to the casino, because that’s where they thought the vampire would be. And they were right, she was there. And they confronted her, and Kiyo had pushed his unsightly feelings surrounding her deceptively sweet smile so he could do his job even though every nerve in his body was telling him to run.

They had played a game of poker… no, Shuichi had played the game of poker, because she wanted him to take off his mask and someone like  _ Her _ was the last person he would consider taking it off for, and she wanted to... she wanted him to bring her back to his hotel room. As if Kiyo would be interested in her, had actually been seduced by her. He felt nauseated simply at the thought.

And then… and then Kiyo had apprehended her in the alleyway, and she had confessed to her actions, and Shuichi helped him hold her down as she spat insults at him with that  _ same sickening smile on her face that She had- _

Calm down, sweet Korekiyo, a voice deep inside of him said. The earlier nausea came back tenfold.

He remembered now. Celestia- no, Yasuhiro?- reminded him just as much of Her as he must have reminded her of the man who killed her over a hundred years ago. When she spoke to him, with that misleading,  _ manipulative _ smile on her face, all he could see was Her, and all of a sudden the low murmur in the back of his mind spoke up louder than it had in months.

And when he was just getting better at ignoring it, too.

After that, Kiyo only had fuzzy fragments of memories. He wavered, which  _ you are not supposed to do, dear Korekiyo, _ and the witch took advantage of his moment of weakness to attack him, and bite into his neck hard before Shuichi stabbed her with the iron switchblade. He remembered feeling lighter than air, mind too loud to properly think, blood streaming out of his neck as he fell unconscious-

Wait, his neck?

Kiyo’s eyes flew open, everything too bright for his sensitive eyes making his headache come back ten times worse, but his mask, his mask covered his neck, they must have taken off his mask, he  _ hated _ being seen without one, where was it-

His (unbandaged, he noticed) hands touched the lower portion of his face, and he felt the cloth of a surgical mask. He shakily breathed out in relief. Thank whoever or whatever was listening that someone covered his face.

He dragged his hands down his face and onto his neck, that he could feel was tightly bandaged up. His vision was starting to clear up, eyes finally adjusting to the bright light of what he assumed was a hospital.

“Kiyo?”

Squinting, he turned his head towards the source of the voice. Shuichi was sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed Kiyo was propped up in. He must have just woken up, but judging by red eyes and dark bags, he assumed the detective had gotten little sleep. What time was it, anyway? It had to have been midnight or even later when they confronted Yasuhiro.

“Shuichi… what… time is it?” he rasped, voice groggy. He coughed slightly, the motion aggravating his neck injury, making him lightly groan in pain.

“9 o’clock AM. They rushed you into an ambulance and took you here as soon as possible. Apparently, you were lucky Yasuhiro only bit down for a second. Any longer and she might have caused permanent damage.”

“And… the mask?” He gestured to his face.

“You had it on when before I got here. The nurses told me you had a major freak out when they tried to take the other one off, but when they replaced it with that one, you calmed down again. If anyone saw anything, it was just the few paramedics in the ambulance with you. That’s what I’ve been told, at least.”

Kiyo sighed in relief, closing his eyes and laying his head back. Kiyo had been wearing his mask for so long, he panicked when he wasn’t wearing one. He could deal with having it off while he was alone, but he usually wore one at all times anyways because of how comforting it felt to him. The extra privacy was a nice bonus, as well. He appreciated how Shuichi didn’t prod him on why he was so attached to hiding his face. Shuichi was good at that, at navigating around sensitive subjects. Kiyo liked that about him.

“Have you been here all night, Shuichi?”

Shuichi smiled earnestly. “Not all night, no. I had to report our findings to the police chief immediately, but once I was done with that, I made sure to come find you. I’ve only been here since,” he glanced at the clock, “5 AM? Maybe 4:30.”

“I’m sorry to have kept you up and worried you, Shuichi. It sounds like you haven’t gotten any sleep at all.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. I had to talk with policemen and do paperwork for hours anyway. I doubt I would have been able to get any good sleep no matter whether you were in the hospital or not. Yasuhiro Taeko- or Celestia Ludenberg, as she still insists on being called- was treated for her stab wound last and is now in police custody. I have no idea how they are going to prosecute a vampire, but since she has confessed that she was indeed murdering for the sake of killing and not survival I assume it won’t end up being too different from prosecuting a human.”

Kiyo hummed in agreement, still feeling a bit dazed. He thought back to yesterday. Had all of this really happened in the span of 24 hours? He couldn’t believe it. So much happened, and yet it happened so fast… including his relationship with Shuichi.

Kiyo liked Shuichi. Much more than he thought he would when they were first paired together. The detective liked his stories, and actively asked for them, staying engaged the whole way through. He was also highly intelligent, and wonderful at his job. Kiyo generally avoided working with a partner, preferring to admire humanity from afar, but Kiyo found himself working so well with Shuichi. He couldn’t have asked for a better partner.

He glanced over at Shuichi, who was staring back at him with an indecipherable expression on his face. For the first time in a very long time, Kiyo felt like he was going to miss Shuichi when he left.

“I have another question, Kiyo. How much of yesterday do you remember? Specifically, in the alleyway.”

Kiyo shot him a confused look. What was important about that? “I remember pulling Yasuhiro into the alleyway and incapacitating her with my cross and hawthorn. I remember accusing her of the vampirism and the murders, to which she indirectly confessed. I remember her insulting me, and… then her lunging at me, and biting my neck… hmm. Everything is fuzzy after that. I remember you on the phone and passing out. I don’t even remember the ride in the ambulance, which I must have been awake for to react in the way you were told I did. Intriguing.”

Shuichi studied him for a moment. “Intriguing, indeed.”

“Did I forget something important?”

“...I don’t think so.”

Hmm. He was technically not lying; perhaps Shuichi did not believe what he had forgotten was important, but obviously Kiyo had forgotten  _ something _ . He held eye contact with Shuichi for a moment, silently picking him apart with his eyes while Shuichi did the same to him.

Kiyo gave up and closed his eyes, breathing out deeply. “Has anyone told you when I will be discharged from the hospital, Shuichi?”

“The wound on your neck isn’t too bad, and not enough for them to keep you in the hospital. I’m sure once they see you’re awake, they’ll let you leave.”

“Good. I do not like hospitals.” Kiyo held himself close, missing the feeling of the bandages his hands were usually wrapped in.

“When are you going to be leaving the city, Kiyo? I know you said you weren’t staying forever, but I don’t think you ever gave me a specific time period.”

“Mmm… I booked my hotel for a week. I will admit, I was not expecting to be finished with this case in only a day. You are quite the detective, Saihara Shuichi.” He brought his gaze back to Shuichi, who was sheepishly smiling at him, face slightly flushed.

“Ah, um, and you’re quite the paranormal investigator, Kiyo. I don’t think I would have solved this without your help, especially not this quickly.”

Kiyo smiled back. “Likewise. I’m not a paranormal investigator, however.”

The detective looked at Kiyo with surprise. “You’re… not? But isn’t that exactly what you do? Investigate the paranormal?”

“I… yes, that is what I do, but I feel as though the term ‘paranormal investigator’ aligns me too closely with those who walk around in the dark, faking ghost encounters for clicks on their videos. Besides, I do not just deal with the stereotypically ‘paranormal,’ I have solved mysteries involving entities classified as paranormal, supernatural, or just magical in general. There is so much more to my investigations than what a ‘paranormal investigator’ does.” Kiyo knew he was rambling, but his opinions on the matter were strong. He hated being called a ‘paranormal investigator,’ even thought in the back of his mind he knew that is exactly what his job description was.

“I don’t think most people would understand the differences between those. I’m afraid I don’t fully understand. You might want to stick with the title ‘paranormal investigator’ for monetary purposes,” Shuichi stammered, seeming amused and embarrassed at the same time.

“Honestly, I do not even advertise, Shuichi. My reputation precedes me. My cell phone number is passed around by word of mouth, and people call me when they require my services because a friend recommended me.”

“That’s an interesting way of making customers.” Shuichi made direct eye contact with Kiyo, suddenly looking very serious. “Have you ever thought about starting an official business?”

“Hmm… perhaps once or twice. It hasn’t been a problem for me, yet, so I haven’t looked into it much. Why are you so interested, Shuichi?”

“Because, I-”

At that moment, the doors to the hospital room crashed open, and in walked a large, burly nurse. “Shinguji Korekiyo?” he bellowed out.

“That would be me, sir,” Kiyo stammered, embarrassed at his sudden anxiety. He did not like how loud this man was.

“I have some paperwork for you to fill out, and some instructions for how to redress your wounds, but after that, we will be discharging you!” he yelled into the room. Kiyo’s eye twitched involuntarily. 

“Very well.” He left off an unspoken  _ “Get me out of here as soon as possible.” _

__________

Shuichi offered to drive him back to his hotel room, which Kiyo gladly took, not feeling well enough to deal with the horrors of public transport. As much as Kiyo loved to observe humanity in its day to day life, the ways people packed together on buses and trains could overwhelm him, especially when he was not well rested.

Shuichi dropped him off in front of the hotel building. “I know you said you were here for another week, but do you think we could meet up for dinner later tonight?” he had shouted to Kiyo as he left the car.

“I would love to, Shuichi.”

“Great! I’ll pick you up at six? There’s a casual diner we can go to that doesn’t get very busy, but they have really good food.”

Shuichi smiled warmly. “That sounds lovely. I will be looking forward to it.”

He spent the rest of the day relaxing in his hotel room. He bathed, getting out of the old clothes that had blood dried where it had dripped down from his neck, relieved at the feeling of being clean. He grimaced as he looked at the bloodied trench coat; he knew the blood would come out, he had been wounded in it before, but it always hurt his heart to see his favorite coat dirty. Especially considering how much effort Sister had put into making it for him.

He shook the thought from his head, ignoring the irritated voice that bubbled up with it. He lay sprawled out on his bed after his bath and redressing his wound, making sure to set an alarm in case his body tried to sleep through his scheduled dinner with Shuichi.

Sure enough, five hours later, he awoke to music blaring from his phone. Feeling much more refreshed than earlier, he got up with a new vigor. He sifted through his suitcase to find a suitable outfit since he could not wear his favored trench coat. He opted for a more casual look, replacing the coat with a cardigan of the same green color and his usual military cap for a black beanie.

He reapplied his makeup, and put on a casual, cutesy cotton mask with the shape of a cat’s mouth and whiskers. It still had a zipper for eating, but it was much more hidden than the one on his other mask. He stepped back and observed his new outfit in the mirror. Feeling a little awkward knowing he was meeting Shuichi looking so casual, but willing to sacrifice formality for comfort in his wounded state, he looked to the time seeing he still had half an hour before Shuichi was coming to pick him up.

He took the time to write down the case in his notebook. Kiyo made sure to record every mystery he solved so he could reference it later if need be, and this case was so much bigger and more dangerous than any case he had taken before. If he was going to need to look back on any case, it would be this one.

By the time he finished writing down the details, it was exactly 5:55 PM. He made his way to the lobby, where Shuichi was already waiting for him. When he looked up and noticed Kiyo, his mouth fell open.

Here we go, thought Kiyo. This is why he never changes his style of dress.

“Wow, Kiyo, you look… really cute! Does your mask have a cat mouth?” Shuichi giggled.

“I- cute?” he sputtered. “I, well, yes, I suppose the cat mask would give off a ‘cute’ vibe. This one is more comfortable than my usual one, and I’m supposed to leave my neck uncovered except for the bandages.” Dammit, it was not like him to be so flustered! Calm down, Korekiyo. Do not waver. You are fine.

He was fine.

“It suits you. Come on, let’s go. I always visit this diner after successfully finishing a case.” He lightly grasped Kiyo’s wrist and led him out to the car. Kiyo felt a warm smile spread across his face at the interaction. For a moment, he forgot about the fact Shuichi was a co-worker he had known for a day and a half, and instead he almost felt as though he had a friend.

The car ride was spent bantering and telling jokes back and forth, conversation light and fun. With the weight of the case lifted off their backs, the pair found talking with one another much easier. Their conversation carried on into the diner, where the two ordered their food and waited.

“-And then he said it a  _ third _ time, over the intercom no less, because he thought it was so funny that everyone on the bus had to hear it, and my friends and I were just trying to comfort our other friend who’s boyfriend had just cheated on her. But the bus driver was always so nice, and none of us had the guts to tell him to shut up,” Shuichi laughed out.

“The poor man. He just wanted you to laugh at his jokes. Maybe he was also trying to cheer her up?” Kiyo snickered, response dripping with sarcasm. This made Shuichi laugh even harder.

“No, no, I think he was completely unaware of what was going on. That’s what made it so funny in the first place.”

Their food was served to them, and they thanked the server as he left. He was about to eat when he noticed Shuichi staring at him in horror.

“What is the matter, Shuichi?”

“You just- you’re the only person I have ever met that would eat a burger and fries with a fork and a knife.”

He looked down at the utensils in his hand, and the back up to Shuichi innocently. “I don’t want to get my bandages dirty. Grease would soak into them, and I don’t carry any extras on my person, so I would be stuck with filthy bandages.”

“That’s a fair reason, actually. I can’t say I understand the bandaged hands, but I do understand the grease part. Forget I said anything.” He smiled at him before digging into his own food.

They sat in silence for a while, simply eating while enjoying the presence of the other. Kiyo thought about how well he and Shuichi clicked, even though they hadn’t known each other for very long. Kiyo did not have many friends growing up, as most of his peers found him creepy or thought he was gay (which, he supposes, they were not wrong). He had never got along this closely with anyone other than, well, Her.

“Kiyo, I have to confess, I did have an ulterior motive in bringing you here,” Shuichi said, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

“An ulterior motive? You are not going to attempt to kidnap me, are you, Shuichi?” he sarcastically responded.

“No, nothing of the sort!” He gave a light laugh before continuing. “I was just thinking about how much I enjoyed partnering with you. How well we worked together, how we managed to solve a case in a day that some may not have been able to solve in months.” Shuichi stared at him with glimmering eyes, full of respect and adoration.

“I must admit, I have been thinking similarly, Shuichi. We made quite a team.”

Shuichi’s face fell slightly. “That’s the thing. You know how I asked you earlier today if you had ever considered starting a permanent investigator business? Taking your job from a word of mouth career to something more concrete?”

Kiyo hummed. He had an idea of where this was going, but he stayed quiet to let Shuichi finish his thoughts.

“I was thinking… maybe, we could start that business together? I have training as a detective, and I’m interested in the paranormal. You have the knowledge and experience with it. Why don’t we start a permanent partnership?” Shuichi’s smile was bright and his eyes were deep, looking into Kiyo’s soul, searching for something Kiyo was unsure of.

“Shuichi… I would love to become your permanent partner. Honestly, it would not change much for me lifestyle-wise. I’m more worried about you. Are you sure this is the career path you wish to follow?”

His expression changed to one of confusion. “What do you mean?”

“As an investigator, I spend more time on the road than I do at home. I haven’t been to my permanent residence in over three months. It’s a grand commitment, Shuichi. You would have to leave many things behind. Family, any pets, your home- you would find yourself seeing them less and less. That is the life I have always wanted to have since I was a child, but are you sure it is the right choice for you?”

Shuichi’s expression hardened. “I knew you were going to say that.”

Kiyo felt his eyes widen in surprise. “You did?”

“And my answer is: I have nothing tying me down here. The only family I would be leaving behind is my uncle. My parents are usually overseas; I hardly see them. Although I enjoy my life as a detective, I have always been interested in paranormal and supernatural beings. I have always admired the paranormal investigator life from afar, as it kinda combines both of those interests, you know?”

Shuichi reached across the table and lightly laid his hand on top of Kiyo’s. “Besides, in all my time working as a detective, I have never worked as well with any of my prior partners before you. I want to travel with you, Kiyo. I think I’d miss you if I let you leave without at least getting your contact information.”

His smile was so earnest and bright, Kiyo felt drawn into it. He found himself subconsciously smiling back at him. It had been a while since Kiyo had felt this warm inside. No one had ever listened to Kiyo’s stories like Shuichi did. No one besides Shuichi had ever told Kiyo he wanted to travel with him. No one had ever wanted to be his friend like Shuichi.

“If you are sure, Shuichi, then I would love to start a partnership with you. I look forward to working together.” They shook hands, before laughing.

Kiyo had been right before. Saihara Shuichi made a wonderful partner, and he enjoyed his time working with him. Kiyo was sure he was going to enjoy his time working with him for years to come.

__________

Two months later, Kiyo was unpacking his last box on his desk at the office for their new business, Hope’s Peak Investigations. He and Shuichi had spent the last couple of weeks refurbishing the old room, cheaply rented from a large office building that hadn’t known what to do with the space. Since they would often be traveling, Shuichi decided it didn’t matter what their ‘office’ was as long as they had a homebase to come back to, and to store supplies and documents in.

“That’s the last of it, Shuichi,” he called to the man sweeping on the other side of the room. “We have officially made this our own.”

“That’s wonderful, Kiyo!” He walked over to the desk Kiyo was arranging. “We probably won’t be here much, so the low rent is worth the janky atmosphere. Personally, I think it gives the place a bit of charm,” he sighed, looking wistfully around.

“Kehehe… you are very excited for this, are you not, Shuichi? We have not even gotten our first request yet.”

“Oh, that reminds me! I designed some business cards that we can pass out when we get requests.” Shuichi pulled out a sample card, and held it out in front of Kiyo. “It’s got our logo, and both of our phone numbers. I thought it would make sense if potential clients could call me as well as you. I also, uh, got these made.”

Shuichi pressed a large pin into his hand. It was made of a sturdy, silver metal, and harbored the symbol they had designed for HPI. On the inside, under the pin mechanism, his name had been engraved.

“They’re badges. So we can look more official. I think they turned out great,” he said, holding up a second, matching badge.

“You’ve been very busy, I see. I am impressed. Both the badges and cards turned out nicely, I think they were good ideas. You have a nice brain for business, Shuichi.”

Shuichi looked sheepish. “Yeah, well, once we actually get business all this stuff will help more. For now, I’m just glad we got settled in.”

Kiyo awkwardly but gently rested his hand on Shuichi’s shoulder. “I’m happy we made this decision, Shuichi. The decision to partner up and found this business.”

Shuichi simply smiled in return, small but sincere, and looked down at the badge in his hand.

They were going to do great things together. Kiyo was sure of it.

**Author's Note:**

> I want to write/draw/somehow create more of this AU. I have plans for other characters to add, along with redesigns and headcanons and more origins. If I write more, I’ll probably pick back up with the story of Hope’s Peak Investigation’s first case, involving a certain liar. I also have ideas for a Nagito and Hajime storyline, and a Kiyo working through his Sister-related trauma B plot, but I shouldn’t get too ahead of myself. I’ve been having a lot of fun coming up with ideas for this AU and writing this story (despite not being a very strong writer, I sure enjoyed writing this), and I hope someone out there gets some enjoyment out of it as well! Thanks for reading!


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